The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-04-16
Strong Words from PoWderly.

nunufeu hnlgntS OF LABOR, repre-
sentlng every district in Pennsylya-
mia. met here this afternoon to con-
slider the various bills relating to
labor now before the Legislature.
The session this afternoon was secret
and was strictly devoted to organiza-
ton.
General Master Workman Pow
derby presided. and in calling the
convention to order made An address,
in which he counseled wisdom and
great care in the deliberations, and
spoke of the rapid growth of the or
der. lie expressed himself as we'll
pleased at the result of the Chicago
election. Ralph Beaumont, of Wash
ington, and Secretary Leitchman also
addressed the convention. The con-
yention will draft a memorial to the
Legislature embOdying its views and
present it on Monday.
The public meeting in the House
of Representatives tonight was very
largely attended. Mr.. Pc Wderly pre-
sided and made a speech. in which
he asserted that labor had right to
be represented here by men to look
after It's Interests in the Legislature.
He referred to the monopolistic cor
Ferations being represented in legis-
lative halls, and said it was time the
labor men of Pennsylvania emulated
/ the example of their brethren in
New Jersey, and insist upon the ex-
animation of all labor bills before
they were passed. Continuing, he
said;
81 read of the result of the cleo
tions in Chicago the other day, and |
was glad to see and hear the work
men of that great city were good
enough TO throw the lie in the faces
of those who passed as their friends
and representatives. No sooner did
the anarchist ticket go before the
people than its supporters said: we
will carry this ticket through under
the flag on whose face not one star
glistens, not one stripe is to be found
and the teachings of such men as
Powderly and Griffiths will have no
weight with us. But they found on
election day that anarchy was snow
ed under as it was never showed I'M
der before, and / say amen to that
every time. Great applause | did
not know but what in the decoration
of this hall you might forget to place
the American flag on the wall Thurs
day. That it might not be forgotten,
| brought this with me this morning
there Mr.. Powderly exhibited a
flag amid tremendous appIause) and
| brought it here SO that if it were
charged that we were not Americans,
that there Was-(I don't care where
| was born, I don't care where the
rest of you were born) that there
was one who SWore by that flag and
no other. Here Mr.. Powderly pre-.
scented the flag to Mr.. Z. Burke. of
Carbonate, an old friend. Let them
tomorrow morning, after those out
bursts of applause, charge us with
being anything else but free born
, nitiuAnS and thnCn !
festations which you have now given
, expression to will be the refutatiOn
of that life, which will ring down
the centuries in condemnation of the
red flag.
"NoW, my brothers, we are here,
and we will stand or fall by the SEN
ments | have given utterance to.
We are here as Americans to watch
American legislation in the interest
of the American people and i'll our
American way, and also to say.that
those men who assembled 100 years
ago in the city of Philadelphia and
gave out the Declaration of indie
pendence to the world were right
when they declared that all men
were created free and equal and en-
doWed with certain inalienable rights
and that we believe they told the
truth and that it still continues to be
the truth instead of living lie, as
some of these men would have peo-
pie believe. Applause. We can
do this without being anarchists, and
do it without becoming partisans
and without being tied to the chariot
wheels of either the old Democratic
or Republican party. Applause. Ii
was now an impossibility for me.
= eehanic to earn enough by his own
labor to support his family. He had
TO call in the help of his wife and
children. He wanted the barrier be.
tween life of shame and life of vir-
tuous industry greater than fifty cents
day. The children should be taken
off the coal-breaker and kept al
! school until 16 years old. The re-